Glass-gathering machine



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1.

E. H. JEWETT. GLASS GATHERING MACHINE.

No. 605,483. Patented June 14,1898.

(No Model.) 4 I 3 Sheets-Sl1eej; :3

E. H.. JBW T,

GEASS GATHERING MAGHINE.

"No. 605,483 Patented June 14, 1898.

201212 asses;

llni'rnn drains- EDWIN 11. JEWETT, or TOLEDO, 01-110.

GLASS GATHERING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 605,483, dated June 14;, 1898. Application filed A u t 13, 1897. Serial No. 648,117. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. JEWETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at T- ledo, Lucas county, Ohio, have invented cer-' tain new and useful Improvements in Glass Gathering Machines, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to and its object is to provide an automatic mechanism for gathering molten glass upon a glass-blowers blowiron preparatory to'blowin g glass articles, and more particularly to furnish mechanism for, first, holding a glass-blowers blow-iron; second, rotating said iron upon its axis at a suitable rate of speed; third, introducing the eX-' tremity of said iron into and removing the same from the pot containing molten glass; fourth, to provide for the deeper dip of said blow-iron at each successive forward movement to compensate for the gradual lowering of the molten glass, and, fifth, to provide an adjustment for controlling the length of time the blow-iron shall remain in the molten glass during the gathering operation without inchine standing in front of the mouth of a glass-pot; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same with one of the bearings of the main shaft removed; Fig. 2, an enlarged elevation of the bearings of the rock-arm and housing here inafter referred to, partly in vertical section;

Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal sectional ele vation of the connecting-rod, showing the automatic adjusting-screw attachments hereinafter referred to, by means of which the blowiron is caused at each successive forward movement to dip as much deeper as may be desired to compensate for the gradual lowering of the molten glass in the glass-pot; Fig. at, a side elevation of the pawl and ratchet and pawl-arm for moving said adjustingscrew; Fig. 5, a transverse sectional View of the half-nut and feed-screw hereinafter re- 1 (see Fig. 5,) secured to the rock-arm. be seen that the crank-wheel 12, driven by the belt 13, causes the frame 9 to rock upon 1 :its trunnions to and fro in a vertical plane ferred to; Fig. 6, a side view of blowpipeholders, partly in section, on line 2 2, Fig; 2; Fig. 7, an end view of spring-clips for removably holding the blowpipes, partly in transverse section; Fig. 8, a side elevation of the cam-wheel hereinafter referred to, showing adjustable cams designed to govern the time of the stop of the blow-iron during the gathering operation; Fig. 9, a top plan view of the same, and Fig. 10 a perspective view of the adjustable stop mechanism for actuating the pawl and ratchet of the feed-screw hereinafter referred to.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

In the drawings, 1 is a base provided with wheels 2, mounted upon track 3, by means of which the machine is movable horizontally toward and away from'the glass-pot 4.. Standards 5 uponthe forward end of the base, having journal-boxes 6, support the main shaft 7, upon which is a pulley 8, suitably connected with any desired source of power.

9 is a rock-arm, consisting of a flat cast frame moving edgewise in a vertical plane,

and is pivotally mounted at its lower end upon and secured to a housing 10, provided With horizontal trunnions 11,which are journaled in standards 5 and 5*, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 Within the hollow trunnions thus journaled rests and revolves the main shaft 7. Mounted upon a countershaft suitably journaled upon standards at the rear part of the base is a crank-wheel12, driven by a belt 13 from a pulley on the main shaftf The crank-wheel and the rock-arm are connected by means of connecting-rod 14:, engaging at one end a crank-pin 15 upon the crank-wheel and at its other end pin 16, It will by means of connecting-rod 14, pivotally secured to the crank-wheel and to the rock arm. The back ward throw of the rock-arm is limited by the stop 9, secured to the base 1. When resting against this stop, the rock-arm and blowpipe assume the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The forward edge of the rock-arm is provided with means for holding two blowpipes,

'endis journaled upon the frame 9.

which consist of two spring-clips 17, adapted to grasp about midway of its length a common blowpipe, and two revolving socket-pieces 18, adapted to receive with a close fit the inlet ends of the blow-irons.

The revolving socket-pieces 18 are j ournaled in a forward]y-projecting bracket 9, cast, preferably, integral with the rock-arm. Each of the socket-pieces 18 is provided with a sprocket-wheel 19, the two being connected by a driving-chain 19. One of the pieces 18 at its extremity opposite its socket is provided with a beveled gear 20, engaged by corresponding beveled gearwheel 21, mounted upon the upper end of shaft 22,which at each Shaft 22 at its lower end is connected, by means of universal joint 23, with a shaft or rod 24, journaled at its upper end upon the frame 9 and at its lower end upon the housing 10. This shaft has at its lower end a beveled gearwheel 25, engaged and driven by gear-wheel 26, keyed on the main shaft of the machine within the housing 10. This .arrangement of the gear-wheels 25 26 permits the rocking of the housing and its attachments without interference with the regular motion of any of the parts. It will be seen that rotary motion is communicated to a blow-iron held by one of the clips and sockets 17 18 by the main shaft through pinion 26, pinion 25, shaft 24, universal joint 23, shaft 22, pinion 21, pinion 20, and revolving socket-piece 18, connected to a like socket-piece by chain 19 and sprocket 19. Each of the blowpipes 27 is provided with a ring or shoulder 27, which when the blowpipe is slipped between the jaws of the springclips 17 rests upon and is supported by said spring-clips, the clasp of the clips upon the blow-iron being so light as not to interfere with its rotation.

I have thus far for the sake of clearness referred to the connecting-rod 14 as a single simple rod connecting the crank-wheel with the rook-arm; but it should be understood that this connecting-rod is constructed in such manner that at each backward stroke the rod is in effect slightly lengthened, as may be desired, so that at the neXt succeeding forward movement of the rod the rock-arm, with the blowpipe secured thereon, will be moved correspondingly farther forward,thus causing the blowpipe to dip correspondingly deeper into the molten glass in the glass-pot. To accomplish this step-by-step lengthening of the connecting-rod, I adopt the device illustrated in detail in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. The rod 14at its outer extremity is provided with an elongated sleeve 14, which has formed integral therewith a ratchet-wheel14 A ring 14, secured upon the end of the rod 14, facilitates the assembling of the parts and prevents the ratchet-wheel sleeve from slipping off the end of the rod. A collar 14 fixed upon the connecting-rod 14 by means of a set-screw, prevents the longitudinal movement of the sleeve 14 away from the end of the connecting-rod 14. The sleeve 14, with its ratchet-wheel 14 thus mounted, is loose upon the shaft and may be rotated axially. Loosely mounted upon the sleeve 14 by the side of the ratchet-wheel is a hub or sleeve 14, having two radial arms 14 14, the former of which has pivoted upon it a pawl 14 The sleeve 14" at its end nearest the rock-arm has a screw-threaded socket,

head 14 of a rod 14K Over the rod 14" is slipped a hollow eXteriorly-threaded screw 14, the screw and rod by means of a spline and groove 14 being secured together in such manner that the screw will slide longitudinally upon the rod, but rotates axially with the rod. The pin 16, by which the rock-arm and the connecting-rod are engaged, carries a two-part sleeve 16 16 the two halves being pivoted together, as at 16. (See Fig. 5.) The half 16, fixed rigidly to the pin, has a smooth interior, and the other half 16 pivoted to the half 16, has a screw-threaded interior. The two halves of this sleeve may be locked in closed position, as at 16, or the two halves may be thrown open and apart. The sleeves 16 16 receive the screwthreaded sleeve 14. By opening the half-nutformedby the part 16" 16 the rock-arm may at once be set in any desired position in relation to the connecting-rod without the labor and loss of time required to screw the parts into place by means of the pawl and ratchet. When the machine is in operation, intermittent axial motion is given to the screw 14 by means of the pawl and ratchet 14 14, the ratchetwheel carrying with it the rod 14 and, through spline and groove 14 the hollow screw 14. Each axial movement of the screw 14 pushes the nut 16 16", together with the rock-arm,

a step forward and insures acorrespondingly deeper dip of the blow-iron.

Upon the base is secured a standard or socketpiece 28, having an extended foot, (see Fig. 10,) through which passes a screwbolt to secure the socket-piece in place. By loosening this bolt the piece may be swung and adjusted horizontally to change the position of the upright part of the socket-piece. Vertically adjustable within the upright part of the socket-piece is a stem 29, having pivotally secured thereon a segmental piece 30. The horizontal and vertical adjustment of the part 28 29 30 brings the straight part of the segmental piece 30 in the path of the arm 14 upon the hub or sleeve 14 of the pawl 14 so i that during the backward stroke of the connecting-rod the arm 14 comes in contact with and slides upon the straight surface of the segmental piece 30, causing the hollow hub or sleeve 14 to rotate upon its bearing. The

extent of this rotation and the consequent extent of the feed of the screw 14 will depend upon the adjustment of the stop 28 29 30, for

if the arm 14 barely touches the stop the.

75 into which is screwed and rigidlysecured the l will be caused to describe a greater are of a circle, giving greater motion to the feedscrew.

. As the extension 14: of the connecting-rod 14 slides longitudinally loosely within the screw 14', it becomes necessary to provide means to cause the feed-screw to follow the connecting-rod upon its backward stroke,-

carrying with it the rock-arm and its attachments. To accomplish this, I provide a device which is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. In this view 11 is a collar adjustably secured upon the projecting trunnion 11 of the housing 10. From this collar projects radially a tension-arm 11 11 is a stout coiled spring embracing the trunnion between its bearing and the collar 11, one end of which spring is stopped by a lug upon the standard 5, the other end resting against a stud projecting from the ten- 7 sion-arm 11 The collar 11 is loose upon the trunnion 11, permitting the collar to be swung to the right or left to adjust the tension of the spring, which tension may be retained by means of the set-screw 11 passing through the collar and abutting against the trunnion. The tension of the spring 11 tends to swing the trunnion 11, the housing 10, and the rockarms supported thereon backwardly, maintaining contact between the feed-screw and the shoulder 14? of the connecting rod. When the rock-arm strikes the stop 9, the spring 11 holds the rock-arm firmly in this position until again lifted by the return of the connecting-rod upon its forward stroke, the rod 14 meanwhile sliding to and fro within the hollow screw.

Thus far I have, for the sake of clearness,

referred to the crank-wheel as a simple element having merely a crank-pin to which is secured the connecting-rod. In practice, however, the connection between the crank-wheel and the connecting-rod is designed and constructed to impart an intermittent reciprocating motion to the connecting-rod and to provide for the pause of the connecting-rod at the end of its forward stroke for such time as may be necessary to permit the gathering of the proper amount of glass to form the article to be produced.

In Figs. 8 and 9, 31 and 32 are thin camplates pivoted side by side upon pin 33, proj ecting laterally from the center of the crankwheel12. That portion of the outer edge of each of the cam-plates farthest from the pivot 33 forms the arc of a true circle of which the pin 33 is the center. Through each of the cam-plates is cut a slot, as at 31 32 curved in the arc of a circle of which the pin 33 is the center. 3 1 is a set-screw passing through these slots and through crank-wheel 12. It

will be seen that the two cam-plates may be swung upon their pivot 33 and that they may be arranged in such relation to each other that their outersegmental edges will together form an arc of more than ninety degrees, or to diminish the are described by the outer cam-plates.

surfaces of the cam-wheels one cam-plate may be slipped edgewise over or under the other as far as desired. The set-screw will now hold the plates at any desired adjustment. The connecting-rod is slotted longitudinally at its extremity, and through the slot passes the pin 33, which is provided with a head to prevent the connecting-rod from slipping from place. serves as a guide and support for the connecting-rod. Journaled upon the c0nnecting-rod is a cam-roller 35, of such width'as to ride upon the face of either one or both of the Upon the connecting-rod is a collar 36, having a set-screw by means of which the collar may be set at any desired point along the connecting-rod. From this collar projects laterally a head 37. The head 37 and the head of the pin 33 are connected by a stout coiled spring 38, the tension of which is adjusted by slidingthe collar 36 to any desired point along the connecting-rod. The spring pulls the connecting-rod constantly toward the center of the crank-wheel, thus maintaining contact between the camroller and the faces of the cam-plates.

This arrangement of the slot and pin The operation of my device is as follows: A

lines in Fig.2. The end of a blow-iron is forced into the socket of piece 18 and slipped be tween the jaws of spring-clip 17. The blowiron now takes a rotary motion through the gearing intermediate the main shaft and the socket-piece 18, as above described. The rotation of the crank-wheel through the. connecting-rod tilts the rock-arm forward upon its trunnions until the forward extremity of the revolving blow-iron is dipped into the molten glass. At this point the cam-roller 35 begins to travel upon the arc of the circle formed by the overlapping cam-plates 31. 32, and during this portion of the "travel of the crank-wheel the connecting-rod and the rockarm stand motionless. At the end of the are above referred to the contour of the camplates is such that the cam-roller is permitted to travel rapidly toward the center of the crank-wheel, the connecting-rod being now drawn back and the cam-roller being kept in contact with the cam-faces by the spring 38. The crank-wheel continuing steadily to revolve the cam again throws the connectingrod and the rock-arm forward, the arc of the circle is again encountered,the dipping mechanism is again for the time held motionless, and thus the operation is repeated indefinitely. It will be seen that the time that the connecting-rod will stand motionless is controlled by the relative positions of the two cam-plates 31 32 and the extent of the are described by their outer surfaces. When rock-arm has been thrown back so that the blow-iron stands in a horizontal position, the blow-iron upon which the glass has been gathered is Withdrawn from its socket, while simultaneously another iron is introduced into the other socket-piece, thus obviating the delay which would be incident to using but one holder for the blow-irons.

Each time the blow-iron with its gathered glass is removed from the fire-pot the molten contents of the fire-pot are slightly lowered. To compensate for this, at each backward stroke of the connecting-rod the arm 14" upon the hub of the pawl-arm comes in contact with the stop 28 29 30, which has previously been adjusted at the proper height and position. The arm now slides upon the straight upper surface of the segmental piece 30, which throws the pawl-arm, rotates the ratchet, and, as hereinbefore described, pushes the nut 16 16", together with the rock-arm and the blowpipe secured thereon, astep forward upon its pivotal support, insuring a correspondinglydeeper dip of the blow-iron at its next forward movement.

Many modifications and equivalents of the mechanism here described designed toperform the stated functions of my machine will without departing from the spirit of my invention suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and I do not therefore limit my invention to the exact form of construction and arrangement of parts here shown.

Having described my invention and its operation, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a glass-gathering machine, a gathering-iron holder, means to move the holder toward and from the glass, and means to move the holder farther forward at each successive forward movement thereof.

2. In a glass-gathering machine, a rotary gathering-iron holder, means to rotate the holder, means to move the holder forward and crank-wheel, a nut upon said frame, a hollow screw within said nut, a connecting-rod journaled on said crank-wheel and sliding within said hollow screw, a stop limiting the throw of said frame, and a spring adapted to press said holder normally away from the fire-pot.

5. In a glass-gathering machine, a gathering-iron holder, means to rotate the same, means to move the holder forward and back, a compound cam having segmental extensible faces, adjustable in the arc of a circle, and connections intermediate said cam and said holder whereby the period of the dip of the gathering-iron may be adjustably controlled.

6. In a glass-gathering machine, a swingingframe, two gathering-iron socket-pieces journaled side by side on said frame, in combination with suitable driving mechanism for swinging said frame backward and forward and for rotating said socket-pieces, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

EDWIN H. J EWETT.

In presence of- NOAH A. WHITNEY, W. D. MILLER. 

